Fence.



PATENTB'D JAN. 16, 1906. S.BUGBY.

FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14,1905.-

a] canto;

' forth in the appended claims.

SULLIVAN BUGBY, OF SOLDIERS HOME, CALIFORNIA.

FENCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application filed June 14, 1905. Serial No. 26 5,246.

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SULLIVAN BUGBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Soldiers Home, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a construction of fence which is especially adapted for use in those parts of the country which are frequented by very high winds and by floods, whereby to make provision for relieving the fence of the force of the wind and water, and thus prevent anyinjury thereto.

It is well known that in certain parts of the country a very considerable amount of property in fences is destroyed by hurricanes and by swollen streams, requiring the rebuilding of such fences at great expense.

My invention therefore contemplates the provision of a fence that shall be comparatively light in construction, may be built at small cost, and which when subjected to a certain amount of pressure against either side thereof will swing down and lie flat upon the ground to escape damage or injury from the full force of the hurricane or flood. To accomplish this, the panels of the fence of suitable length are each independently pivoted at the level of the ground to an embedded base or support, so as to swing laterally thereon and either lie flat upon the ground or disposed upright, in which latter position such panels are held or supported by a brace-bar independently pivoted between the fence-panels or end posts thereof and adapted to support the same in such upright position, all as hereinafter particularly described in the following specification and more specifically set In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fence constructed in ac cordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the intermediate brace which serves to support the panels in a vertical position. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the end posts of the fence-panel. Fig. 6 is a side view showing the fence lowered upon the ground. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing one of the panel-sections lowered.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I construct the fence of panels of suitable length, as is usual, such panels comprising the end posts or uprights A A and horizontal pieces B, which latter are secured at their ends to the posts or uprights and may be reinforced by vertical battens, if desired. This is the common type of fence-panel and is illustrated herein to show the application of my invention; but it will be understood, of course, that the said panels may be constructed to pro vide a picket-fence, a wire fence, or any other of the ordinary styles of fences. The end posts or uprights A are pivoted at their lower ends to a post or support O, which latter is embedded in the ground, as shown, so that the extreme lower ends of such posts or uprights A will be approximately on a line with the ground-surface or slightly below the same. The posts of the fence-panel are pivoted to the embedded post or support O by means of a transverse bolt or pintle D, which latter passes through upward projections c c of the embedded post, and between which projections the uprights are pivoted. The lower ends of the end posts or uprights A are rounded, as at a, so that the fence-panel may be swung upon its pivots to lie flat upon the ground. Between the panels or end posts A thereof is located a brace bar or post E,

which is similar to the fenceposts, with the exception that the lower end of this bracingpost is squared, as at e, and at this point is extended laterally, as shown, so as to provide a wide bearing upon the upper surface of the embedded post for the purpose hereinafter explained. This bracing-post E is also pivoted to the embedded post or support O the bolt or pintle D, the latter passing through a vertically-disposed slot 6 in said bracing-post, which slot permits of a slight vertical movement of the bracing-post.

In order to connect the posts A A and E together and in such manner that the post E may have an independent vertical movement, said posts A A and E are connected at their upper ends by means of a metal band F, which embraces said posts, as shown, and topermit of any single panel to be swung down said metal band is pivotedto one of the posts A, as at f, so that it may be swung out of engagement with the other postA andrelease the same. By this arrangement any one of the fence-panels may be swung down upon the ground to permit cattle to pass from one field to another, and as such panel may be swung down, so that the boards or pieces B will rest flat upon the ground, it will also provide for the passage of a wagon or other vehicle through the fence.

When the fence is arranged in an upright I position, as shown in Fig. 1, the panels will be supported by the intermediate bracingpost E, which has a wide bearing for that purpose on the upper part of the support C. This provides a fence that cannot be blown down by a wind of ordinary force. On the other hand, in case of a hurricane, a flood, or other extraordinary force being exerted against either side of the fence the intermediate or bracing post Ewill be lifted su'l'liciently to permit such post, with the panels, to swing down upon their pivots to lie flat upon the ground and offer no resistance to the storm or flood. Of course at any time a storm or flood is anticipated the fence may be lowered to the ground manually by first releasing the metal bands F. After the storm or flood the fence may be quickly righted by lifting the panels successively, and this operation may be facilitated by first disengaging the metal bands, so that the bracingposts and panels may be raised independently.

It will be readily seen that a fence constructed in accordance with my invention may be built of light material and will readily yield to the pressure of a storm or flood, so as to swing down upon the ground, and that no matter from which direction the storm or flood comes such fence will swing down and permit the storm or flood to pass over the same.

Having thus described my invention, what claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fence of the character described, com-' prising fence-panels and supporting posts therefor, an embedded post or support to which the panels are pivoted, an intermediate bracing-post pivoted to the embedded post or support and having a wide bearing thereon, and a band connecting the panel-posts and bracing-post together at their upper ends.

'2. A fence of the character described, comprising the fence-panels having end posts rounded at their lower ends, embedded osts or supports to which the end posts 0 the fence-panels are pivoted at their lower ends, pintles D forming such pivots, an intermedi ate bracing-post having a slot through which the pintle passes and having a wide bearing on the embedded post or support, and a metal band pivoted to one of the panel-posts and engaging the companion posts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SULLIVAN BUGBY.

l/Vitnessesi C. H. FRANK, GEORGE P. PRICE. 

